Metallic car-roof.



-C. L. BELCHER.

METALLIC CAR ROOF.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1914.

1 164 062, Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

Elf/Z 7 o I o "I o L370 of "a" 15 147 '79? IN VEN TOR.

C.--|.-. BELCHER; METALLIC CAR ROOF. APPMCATIQNHLFD. MAY9. 19m.

1N VEN TOR.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented; Dec. M, 1915;

WITNESSES NEE STAT ATJENT @FFJIQE. I

CHARLES L. BELCHER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN CAFE, AND

FOUNDRY COMPANY,

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NIE W JERSEY.

METALLIC CAR-ROOF.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES L. BELCHER, residing at 900 Hancock street, Brooklyn,

New York, and being a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Car-Roofs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which I Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing more than the end portion of the roof. Figi 3 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 2, but taken .on the plane indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of somewhat more than half the roof. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the roof-sheets. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal central section of the running board saddle, shown in perspective. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 77 of Fig. 2, and shows the standard of the saddle and its relation to its associated carline and ridge pole reinforcingTs, the roof sheet flanges being omitted. Fig. 8 is a transverse section through one edge of a modified form of roof. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail view of a portion of the flexible retaining strip shown in perspective; and Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective detail view of a modified form 0 binding adjacent roof sheets.

During the transit of cars, stresses are set up which tend to distort the car framing,

and while designers understand and have overcome this fault to a great degree, they have not been able to entirely eliminate it. One of the parts of a car which sufiers most from such distortion is the roof, for, at every curve and grade encountered the upright framing members of the car are to some degree forced out of their normal positions by conflicting stresses. And, as these members are supported at their bottom portions Specification of Eetters Patent.

Patented Dec. 141, ilgllii.

Application filed May 9, 1914. Serial No. 837,433.

from an underframe, their upper extremities have the maximum amount of displacement with a consequent equivalent straining effect on the roof. Such progress has been made in the car art that the framing of superstructures will apparently properly support a roof, but a finer analysis will disclose the fact that the are but minimized and willultimately loosen the seams of the roofing. .Where metallic roofing is employed it will be unduly stretched and tear at the rivets, or other points of rigid fastening, long before the natural term of life of the roofing sheets has expired.

The present invention has for an object such an installation of roof sheets in a roof structure that the roofing will be properly positioned at all times, but have a flexibility which will prevent distorting influences from subjecting the said sheets to undue stresses that would otherwise operate to create ruptures in them.

Another object is to avoid rigidly securing the roof sheets to the carlines, ridge pole, purlins, and side and end plates of the car.

A still further object is ta cause flanges of adjacent roof sheets to normally lie on opposite sides of intermediate carlines and to provide binding caps adapted to grip the free edges of juxtaposed roof sheet flanges in such manner as to permit the said sheets {9 expand or move longitudinally of the carmes.

Such other advantages as appear hereinafter are to be understood to come within the scope of this invention.

Referring to the drawings with reference to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 1 indicates the side posts of a car, and 2 the end posts thereof. Side plates 8, shown as constructed of Z-bars, are supported by side posts 1, and end plates 4, of similar crosssection, are sustained by end posts 2. Extending from end to end of the car, at the apex of the roof is the main portion of a ridge E ole, which may be a commercial channel 5.

he ridge pole is completed by a series of reinforcing members, here illustrated as structural T-bars 6, which are preferably centrally located transversely-0f channels 5,

and extend longitudinally thereof, being suitably riveted or otherwise afiixed, to saiddistorting influences and intermediate anticlinal carlines 9. All.

ridge pole on either side of the latter, are purlins 7, the ends of which, as-do the ends of channel 5 of the ridge pole, are projected through outline conforming cuts in the inner and upper vertical flanges of each 2- bar end plate t and rest upon the'horizom tally disposed web thereof.

Extending from side to side of the car and secured to ridge pole channel 5 and side plates 3, are anticlinal end carlines 8 the carlines may be constructed from commercial T-bars, but it is desirable to have the" single leg of the end carlines disposed horizontally and the same leg of the intermediate carlines vertically. As indicated at 10 in Fi' 1, the lower of the vertical legs of end our ines 8 are cut off near their extremities and those portions of the carline which pass over the side plates 3 are of L- shaped section.

When assembled the rigid roof structure contains on each side of the ridge pole a series of depressed panels, the outer edge having no upstanding wall. Within each panel is placed a roof sheet 11, substantially of the form shown in Fig. 5, which has a pair of upstanding flanges 12 paralleling the carlines 8 and 9, and normally lying against the vertical faces thereof. Each roof sheet 11' has another upstanding flange 13 similar to flanges 12, but arranged at rightangles and having the same relation with thereto, respect to its associated ridge pole T-shaped member 6, as flanges 12 have to carlines 8 and 9.

All of the flanges 12 and 13, are prefer- I ably crimped above their carlines or ridge pole T-members and are brought into contact with each other. Over these contacting portions of the flanges are slipped troughshaped caps 14 for the side flanges, and 15 for the inner flanges, securing adjacent roof sheets together. And, if desired, rivets pass 'through these caps and the upper crimped portions of the said flanges, but above carlines 8 and 9 and ridge pole members 6.

At their'adjacent ends, flanges 12 and 13 of each sheet are separated by slits shown in Fig. 5 at 16, and the outer end of each roof sheet 11 is curved downwardly, carriedv beyond the outertermination. of flanges 12, and terminates in a flexiblesplit cylinder 17.

' The latter embraces another flexible .split cylinder. 18, having an integral upturned flange aflixed to sidefplate 3, it being understood that there s such a cylinder 18 on each side of the car. For convenience of assembling, cylinders 18 may be composedof a number of sections placed end to end.'-"j -f" As has been pointed out, carlines 8 and 9 are contlnuous from one side-of the car to the other,--but the T -shaped.members 6 of the ridgepjol'e' each terminate shortly before reaching aif' 'carhne. The spaces between members 6 and the upright flange of the interposed carlines 8 and 9, permits the insertion of standards 21 of intermediate running board saddles 22 and end saddles 23.

Standards21 are slotted at 24, and when pushed into place the upright leg of each carline 8 and 9 projects well up into said slot. The abutting ends of the T-rid'ge pole members 6 project into grooves 25 in said saddle standards, the latter filling the gaps between said members 6 and carlines 8 and ,9, and making a solid structure. The saddles have depending walls adapted to shed rain and to protect the joint at the saddle standards. I

Passing through slots 26 in the depending side walls 01' said saddles, caps 14' and the upper edges of flanges 12 of the roof sheets,

. but not through the carlines, are bolts 27.

juxtaposed ends of said T -shaped ridge pole 12 of the end roof sheets 11, caps 14 embracing said flanges and the tops of said end wall sheets. .7 The bottom of the latter terminates in flexible split cylinders 29 which embrace inner flexible split cylinders 30 of the same type as cylinders 18 on the car sides, cylinders 30 being supported from the end plates 4 in a manner corresponding to the mode of sustaining said cylinders 18 from side plates 3. I

When the superstructure of a car provided with above described roof is subjected to distorting influences, longitudinal components of the distortion will be taken care of by those. parts of flanges 12' of roof sheets 11 which are flexible belowv the transverse caps 14. The lateral components of the distortion will be accommodated by those portions. of the inner flanges 13 whichare flexible below the longitudinal caps 15 and by the flexible split cylinders 17 in which the outer ends of roof sheets 11 terminate, and the flexible inner cylinders 18 which are engaged by the first mentioned cylinders. Furtherinore, side flanges 2 and their caps 14 form hollow passages which are each occupied by an u standing leg of a carline 8 or 9, and, there ore, the roof sheets with their flanges 12 and ca s 14 are capable of movement longitudina ly of said carlines,

In any form of construction, the heads'of those rivets which face a relatively movable partwill preferably be countersunk to cause the contiguous surfaces to be plane.

Also with a view to maintaining surfaces plane, filler plates may be used as those, for example, which are shown at 37 mounted upon purlins 7, (see Fig. 1).

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show a modified form particularly suited to railroads whose clearance diagrams make the use of narrow cars imperative. In this form, the carlines 9 project but. very slightly beyond the L- shaped side plates 3 and are rounded over on their ends with a small radius.

Roof sheets 11 are in general similar to roof sheets 11 of the first described form, but their outer portions are given a much smaller radius in being bent downwardly, and the lower edges are again bent to have an inwardly and upwardly inclined flexible hook flange 31, which is designed to interlock with a flexible V-shaped retaining strip 32, flanged for attachment to side plate 3.

Strips 32 are provided with upwardly extending flexible junction wings 33 adapted to close thegap between the edges of adj oinin sheets 11.

%he height of flanges 12 of roof sheets 11 is materially decreased at their outer ends and a water-reflecting wing 34 is bent outwardly at right angles to said flanges. (laps 148 are also provided at their outer ends with water-deflecting flanges 35, which abut wings 34. Means are thereby created for causing such moisture as may travel down the ridges formed by the flanges 12 and caps 14 to be directed so as to discharge over theendof the roof sheet, the lower end of the said roof sheet and its hook flange constituting a drip edge.

The upright legs of carlines 9, at their outer ends, project out of the passages formed flanges 12 and caps 14*, which passages per- .permit the roof sheets, their flanges and the caps 1 1i to move longitudinally of carlines 9 The end part of the carlines is apertured for the passage of a bolt which partly holds in place a protecting hood 36, such a hood being provided at the outer corners of all adjacent roof sheets. The hoods are further supported at their lower ends by being attachedto side plates 3-; Posts 1 may be Z-bars which will permit inslde sheathing, if desired. The rest of the structure may conform to that shown in Figs. 1 to 7, and, as this typeof construction-is applicable to the conditions of a greater number of roads, it may be regarded as the preferred form.

A modified form of roof sheet flanges and means for holding them in slidable connection with the carlines are shown in Fig. 11. In this figure, roof sheets 11 have upright flanges 12 with outwardly flanged upper edges. A. cap 14: engages and grips flanges 12", and the roof sheets, their flanges and the caps may move longitudinally of carlines 9 as in the other forms described.

What I claim is 1. In a metallic tar roof, suitably supported anticlinal metallic carlines, metallic roof sheets positioned therebetween, flanges on said sheets having their edges curved to meet above said carlines, and metallic caps separate from said flanges binding the same together above said carlines, said roof sheets, flanges and caps being movable longitudinally of said carlines.

2. In a metallic car roof, a plurality of spaced flanged carlines, roof sheets therebetween having upturned flanges normally lying substantially against the vertical sides of said carlines, but having portions capable of moving away therefrom and other portions held in intimate contact with the sides of said carlines, said upturned flanges having their edges ofl'set to permit the oflset portions of adjacent sheets to contact, caps above said carlines embracing the flanges of adjacent sheets, securing devices for attaching said caps to the oflset portion of said flanges, and retaining means at the ends of the sheets for permitting the expansion of said sheets parallel to said carlines.

In a metallic ear roof, a ridge pole comprising a channel and a series of T-shaped reinforcing members, each member having an upstanding leg, suitably supported side plates, spaced anticlinal T-shaped carlines having an upstanding leg, roof sheets between succeeding carlines on each side of. said ridge pole and movable longitudinally of said carlines and ridge pole, flanges on each roof sheet normally lying against the faces of the upstanding legs of said ridge pole T-members and said carlines, caps embracing adjacent flanges of said root sheets, and an outer flexible edge on each root sheet interlocking with flexible retaining means attached to said side plates.

a. A metallic roof comprising a ridge pole and spaced carlines each with an upstanding wall, roof sheets between succeeding carlines on each side of said ridge pole, separate upturned flanges paralleling and normally lying against said walls, the upper edges of said flanges being bent inwardly and upwardly over said walls, caps covering said upper edges of contiguous flanges and extending downwardly below the top of said walls, and means for binding said upper edges and caps together, said roof sheets, flanges and caps being movable longitudi- 130 nally of said carlines.

5. A metallic roof sheet comprising a plane inclined surface, separate upturned flexible flanges on three sides thereof, each flange having upper edges crimped to receive a binding cap, and an outer depending flange having a lower flexible gripping ed e.

(i. A. metallic car roof comprising a rid ge pole having a channel and a IT-shaped reinforcing superimposed member, side plates on either side thereof, oppositely extending roof sheets, each comprising an inclined surface, an inner upturned flange with an upper edge bent inwardly and upwardly and an outer depending flange having a lower flexible gripping edge, a flexible retaining strip embraced thereby and supported by said side plates, and a binding cap inclosing the upper edges of said inner flanges, the latter being flexible below said cap.

7. In a metallic car roof, an end plate and an end carline thereabove having an upstanding leg, a roof sheet with an upturned flange extending above and crimped over said leg, an end wall sheet extending above and crimped over said leg, a cap inclosing the upper edges of said roof and end wall sheets, a flexible split cylinder at the lower edge of the latter, and an interlocking flexible split cylinder embracing the end wall cylinder, said interlocking cylinder being supported by said end plate.

8. In a metallic car roof, a ridge pole comprising a channel and a plurality of spaced apart reinforcing T-shaped members each having an upstanding leg, a T-shaped carline having an upstanding leg interposed between each pair of adjacent ends, and a plurality of running-board saddles each provided with a cent all standard, each standard having a slot adapted to be occupied by the upstanding leg of one of said cal-lines, and each provided with grooves into which project t 1e ends of said upstanding legs of said ridge pole reinforcing T-members. i J. In a metallic car roof, a ridge pole comprising a channel. and superimposed spaced apart T-shaped reinforcing members, a T- shaped carline interposed between adjacent ends of said reinforcing members, roof sheets between succeeding carlines on each side of said ridge pole, upturned flexible flanges on said sheets normally lying against said carlines and reinforcing members, caps connecting adjacent flanges, and runningboard saddles having standards supported by said carlines, each saddle overlapping said caps and having depending walls inclosing the end portions thereof, slots in said walls, and bolts supported by said flanges and caps above said carlines passing through said slots in said saddle walls.

10. In a metallic car roof in combination, frame members comprising a supporting structure, said frame members including carlines having an lip-standing leg; in combination with a relatively flexible covering including a plurality of roof sheets, said roof sheets having flanges extending upwardly on the sides of said carlines and meeting above said cal-lines, and a cap cov ering said edges and being attached thereto above said carlines to permit'a slight relative movement between said roof sheets and said carlines.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. BELCHER.

\Vitnesses WM. H. CAPEL, C. WESLEY POMEROY. 

